Rebecca:

I think you have answered your own question in a number of ways.  First of
all, while off-gassing can be a problem, you seem to have mitigated it
well.  Many smaller institutions don't have the budget to even consider the
effects of off-gassing and must make do with what they have, which is
better than nothing.

You mentioned that the material you wish to organize sits on the floor, and
therefore collects dirt, dust, insects, and is inaccessible.  Right there
are four reasons to get the stuff on shelves.  You mention insect activity
is present, so stress the "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
philosophy, in that it is better to prevent the insects and vermin from
infiltrating your boxes rather than pay for the damage to be repaired.  Not
to mention that most museum standards documents recommend that all
artifacts are placed AT LEAST several inches off the floor to prevent water
damage due to flooding, broken pipes, accidental discharge of sprinkler
systems, etc.  For most materials in collections, water damage can be the
biggest threat, since it is so hard (usually impossible) to reverse.  And
let's not forget all of the problems associated with water damage - mould
and mildew, destroyed finishes and emulsions (you did mention a photo
collection??)

By stacking material, even in sturdy boxes, you run the risk of damage
through deformation - i.e. the weight of the material pressing down on the
boxes beneath it.  When anything is stacked, you run this risk, and also
the risk that if there is infestation in one box (or mildew, or water, or
whatever) it can travel up or down the stack more easily than if the boxes
were set on shelves beside each other.  Ideally, nothing should have
anything else stacked on top of it, but of course, space considerations
don't always mean that this is possible.

There is also no point to putting material in storage if you can't either
find it or access it.  This goes back to your observation that "access to
the photos stinks".  Think of the person-power involved every time you have
to un-stack several boxes or move a bunch of artifacts to get to others.
The time spent doing this in hourly wages could offset the cost of the new
shelves.

Any of these points make a pretty convincing argument.  Perhaps you should
get your hands on some museum standards documents to prove your point to
your superiors.  I know the Museums and Galleries Commission in the UK has
published some standards for collections storage areas, and they can be
contacted at: Museums and Galleries Commission 16 Queen Anne's Gate London
SW1H 9AA England,  Telephone No: 0171 233 4200 Fax No: 0171 233 3686
(there is some stuff on the web about the MGC, but I haven't been able to
locate a home page).

The Canadian Conservation Institute has similar published information which
can be ordered for a minimal cost.  They have a web site at:
http://www.pch.gc.ca/cci-icc/ or Canadian Conservation Institute, 1030
Innes Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0M5.  Telephone: 613-998-3721 , Fax:
613-998-4721

Good luck.

Alex Avdichuk
Arts, Culture and Heritage Services
City of Toronto
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...
Given my limited budget, I can either 1) organize storage and implement
an intergrated pest management which includes regular cleaning of
storage areas and monitoring for insect activity (and there is insect
activity!); or 2)let the stuff stack, sit on the floor, collect dust or
whatever and only purchase new shelving units when I can afford the wire
racks to go with them.
... However my superior wants me to write a paper justifying my request for
another shelving unit (this one would be 12 feet long and 10 feet high, for
storing 20 32" x 42" archival boxes which contain a huge collection of
aerial photos of the county
where we are situated - Currently these boxes are stacked 7 deep on the
floor in the area where I hope the shelving unit will someday sit. There
is no place else to put them and the access to the photos stinks).

Please reply direct to my e-mail -- [log in to unmask] - would be
interested in hearing from other curatorial personnel regarding this
issue. Thanks!
Rebecca Snetselaar, Curator of Collections